Photo Friday – Old Biloxi Cemetery

Welcome to another edition of Photo Friday! If you’ve been following along this week, I’ve brought you photos from a tour Sweet Husband and I took of the Old Biloxi Cemetery for my monthly 10 on 10 and Wordless Wednesday posts. For this week’s Photo Friday, I thought I would finish out the week in the same place…in black and white. Because it’s a cemetery and why not?

I can’t tell you exactly where in the cemetery this gate is located – it’s nearer to the back and perhaps in the middle? But the cemetery is a bit of a rabbit warren. You enter in the back and think that that it’s just a little bit of space, but when you start moving around, you find another corner over here and just when you think it’s done, down this little slope there is another section. The remains of this gate are towards the back and perhaps in the middle? I was drawn to it because off to the side, the other support post is there on the ground. It has Masonic markings on it but the fence that went with it is long gone.

Near the lone gate, there is a tomb that is in extreme disrepair. These bricks are part of the facade that have fallen off the side. In the front, the marble slab with the engravings is in pieces on the ground. The bottom of the tomb is boarded up with plywood; the top has broken pieces of a blank marble slab. It would appear that this tomb belongs to a family that either no longer has the means to provide for the upkeep or there is no one left.

I think that is perhaps one of the saddest things about cemeteries – which I don’t find to be particularly sad places – is the fact that we all move on. While we build monuments to our lost loved ones, eventually we ourselves are lost and those monuments because interesting archaeological sites for people like me who wander through and wonder about the lives of the dead – who they mattered to, who mattered to them, what they did with their brief moments in the sun.

One of the other things that strikes me about these older cemeteries is that they were designed to be places that those left behind would want to spend time. Many of these plots had benches, where you could sit and commune with your loved ones. With trees and flowering bushes – and in this particular cemeteries, awnings or structures that covered plots, providing shelter from the elements – this older cemetery, as is typical of many older final resting places, was thoughtfully constructed and curated to provide a place of repose. More modern cemeteries lack not only the character of their predecessors, they are designed for ease of maintenance. With cemeteries banning the planting of flowers/flowering shrubs and requiring only flat, even with he ground headstones, the shift has been made to ease of maintenance rather than creating an inviting place to pause and remember.

I suppose that is to be expected – as a society, we have become very disconnected from death. Whereas we used to keep our departed with us at home for viewings or wakes or even funerals and families washed the bodies of their loved ones and sat with them through the night to ensure their passage into the next world, things are more sterile and clinical today. We have no problem watching gratuitous violence and senseless murder on our screens but we cannot seem to handle the reality of death when it is up close and personal.

I’m fairly certain that those hands are a repair. I don’t think that there is any way that a statue with the delicateness of the wings and face of this cherub could possibly have sausage fingers…and apparently only 3 or 4 of them.

Have I told you about resurrection fern before? I think about the south and our live oaks, immediately after I think about spanish moss, I think the resurrection fern, which can lose up to 97% of its water content, shrivel up and turn brown, for all intents and purposes appearing to be absolutely and completely dead but immediately turn a beautiful lush and full green as soon as the rain starts to fall or the humidity begins to rise. It is a marvel to me. And can I just point out the detail on those leaves? AMAZING.

It doesn’t just occur on the live oaks, though. Anywhere they can get a foothold, they will…even on a tomb.

Then, of course, there is the Spanish Moss. There is something haunting but beautiful about it as it drips down from the trees. Sweet Husband asked me how we go about getting Spanish Moss to take to our oak trees, particularly the one in the back. Unfortunately, I don’t know what to tell hi about that.

I’m pretty sure that over the next couple of days I will re-edit these photos using color settings…particularly the ferns and the light coming through the Spanish Moss. You’ll want to make sure that you are ready for it 😉

Photo Friday Link-Up

Welcome to another edition of the Photo Friday link-up! Last week we had our most views and clicks ever, which means that y’all are doing an incredible job of supporting each other…and that is what makes this one of the best link-ups on the web. This community is incredible! You provide endless inspiration AND support. Thank you!

Last week we had a three-way tie for the most viewed link! Congratulations to Tara of Back Road Ramblers, Lowanda of Sunshine and Elephants, and Kelly of Swimming in Sunshine! Each of them shared some amazing photos with us last week!

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This week was a total bust for me as far as blogging goes, but I had to stop by and see what was going on over here anyway. I have fallen in love with cemeteries lately, especially the old and quirky ones. I love the seahorses! I’ve never heard of the resurrection fern, but they are beautiful and seem right at home in a graveyard. Beautiful photos, as always!Tara recently posted…Hiking the Alpine Ridge Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park

Its a great pick-me-up to see your picture as a feature on a blog! I must say this was one of more successful shots with my cell phone and I was so happy to be able to capture them. I’m glad to be able to share with others and I thank you for offering a place for us to share.Lowanda J recently posted…Currently November Vol. 2

You speak very true words, my friend, about today’s societies being disconnected from death and a lot more sterile. Although, I cannot say that I can handle cruelty or blood and gore on tv without without a shiver.
Your photos are pretty magical. I especially like the ones you shot against the sun with the hanging Spanish moss – gorgeous. I can understand why your hubby would want it in your backyard.Claudia recently posted…Pumpkin feast WW w/linky

Seems even more sombre in B&W Jen. True about the fact that death remains hidden and taboo to an extent. There are movements starting in Australia to de-mystify it and to be honest, why not? Crazy to deny what comes to us all. Look forward to some of the colour versions too.Denyse recently posted…Getting My Licence. 316/365

There are some movements here – for “green” or “natural” burial and such but in many locations laws have to be changed in order to allow things to change. You are right – it all comes to us some day and as we age and live with our aging parents and family members, we are all being confronted with it.

I love that you decided to do those upper photos in black and white. It adds to the mystery of the cemetery. Also, that fern is really amazing. We have a plant in our yard that we thought was dying then it came back, but it wasn’t as far gone as the ferns you describe.Rhonda Albom recently posted…Small World Story of Tapas, Home Exchange and our Library

Nice shots, as always. This reminds me of the best cemetery I’ve ever seen. Maybe I should feature it for a future Photo Friday. There’s something peaceful and tranquil about it, which is probably why your pictures took me back. 😀Becky recently posted…The Most Colourful City Square

Agghh, so frustrating! I can’t see over half the cemetery photos, even if I open a new window I get this error msg. ‘We cannot complete this request, remote data could not be fetched’. Living in Australia has it’s drawbacks sometimes and not being able to fetch stuff on the internet is one of those drawbacks. I tried two browsers too- oh well I will enjoy coming back to see them later.

That gate is quite the anomaly without it’s fence. It seems there must be a story there of a fenced off grave or the cemetery being extended in the past. That Spanish moss is so beautiful hanging from the trees, surely all you need do is drape a handful in a shady spot and make sure it gets a good spritzing of water occasionally?Stella Lee@ Purfylle recently posted…Remembrance Day 2015

I don’t know the story about the gate, but I would imagine it is the same as many cemeteries – lots of our older cemeteries have been pillaged for their cast iron work – the fences, the benches, the scrolls. I don’t know if it’s still happening now, but there was a time when the iron (cast & formed) were selling for thousands of dollars and cemeteries across the country were stripped bare. Disgusting.

And yes! All I need to do is bring some Spanish Moss home. Since it is a bromeliad, it’s pretty easy to care for.

I think there was an issue with my site last night – probably not your interwebs 😉

Jen you know I love B&W. I partuclarly love the picture of the angel. B&W gives some strengh to the stones pictures. Don’t you think? We should co write a post about our experience at the conceptual photography course. What do you think? xx cathyperegrinationgourmande recently posted…Prague the romantic city

Southern cemeteries are so beautiful! When I lived in Savannah, I would visit the Bonaventure cemetery all the time. The headstones and statues along with the spanish moss make them eerily beautiful.Sadie recently posted…More Reasons Why You Should Never Ever Ride an Elephant

Thank you Anni! I really enjoy cemeteries – I think it stems from all that time I spent at the one at the end of the road (we could ride our bikes out there – about a mile and a half into the country from the house).

Thank you for joining us! There are a few other cemeteries here on the Coast – including the one at Beauvior (the last home of the Confederate States of America President) which is a confederate soldier cemetery.

These are beautiful Jen, I always enjoy seeing black and white photos, there’s something classic and haunting but pretty about them too – they show off shadows and light perfectly and I love it when they’re paired with nature. – TashaNatasha recently posted…Autumn Showers

I hope you don’t mind I came back to link up my sARTurday post. I thumbnailed a drawing, bringing a lot of color to your beautiful monochromes, but there are photos in the post, too. Have a great weekend!Claudia recently posted…Doodling & handlettering & a story

Just came back across to say thank you for the lovely comments and I was just admiring the photos again and completely missed the seahorse sculpture, that’s so pretty! I do like graveyards, some of the stone-work is so pretty and as I mentioned before, the black and white shots of the ferns and trees are just stunning. – TashaNatasha recently posted…Autumn Showers

Jen,
You have tons of lovely photos in here. The photo essay started a bit creepy (to me) and then started to show the beauty of this place. I think as a society our views and values about death have changed. The cemetery is there to hold the remains of those who have left but the ones that are alive do not want to have anything to do with it.Ruth – Tanama Tales recently posted…Strolling Around Madrid Centro

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I'm a teacher, writer, and photographer capturing the magical moments of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast - putting my experience as a teacher and educational staff developer to work crafting stories that chronicle an experience well-lived.

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